Today’s Top Pick is a 1979 Bellanca 17-30A Viking.

About a decade ago I was on a cross-country flight, seemingly with no traffic around, when a friend scooted past in his Bellanca Viking. He was not too close, but close enough that I could see the bracing struts on the airplane’s tail.

How could an airplane with such a draggy, old-fashioned feature be so fast? Turns out those struts are among the Viking’s many points of interest and mystery.

Like many high-performance four-seaters that first appeared during the 1960s, the Viking has a big, powerful engine and lots of loyal, loving owners who will tell you why it is the best airplane you can own. Unlike the others, it has a wooden wing and steel-tube fuselage with fabric covering.

There are numerous other traits that set the Viking apart, but the one owners talk about most is its smooth, harmonious handling. While other pilots describe the “heavy” control forces of their big piston singles, Viking drivers use words such as “light” and “responsive.”    

This 1979 Viking has 3,295 hours on the airframe, 1,481 hours on its 300 hp Continental IO-520-K engine, and 246 hours since overhaul on its McCauley three-blade prop. 

The aircraft’s IFR panel includes a Collins AMR 350 audio panel with markers, Garmin 430 GPS/nav/comm (non-WAAS), Century NSD 360 HSI, King KRA 10 radar altimeter, Century III autopilot, Century I backup autopilot, Appareo ESG transponder with ADS-B Out, Stratus ADS-B In, Insight 602 engine monitor,  Shadin Miniflo digital fuel flow indicator and totalizer, Collins VHF transceiver, Collins VOR/LOC receiver and VOR/LOC/GS indicator and Stormscope, and PS Engineering PM 1000 four-place intercom.

Pilots looking for a high-performance four-place retractable aircraft with unique features, a notable family tree, and looks that will help you make friends on the ramp should consider this 1979 Bellanca Viking, which is available for $97,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Challenging Common Aircraft Buying Tips
• Plane & Pilot: Bellanca Super Viking
• Plane & Pilot: Bellanca Junior, Cruisair, Cruisemaster
• Plane & Pilot: Bellanca 300 Viking
• Plane & Pilot: Plane Speed: How Fast Do You Need to Fly?
• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Bellanca Viking
• AVweb: Speed: Buying 180 Knots for $180,000

The post This 1979 Bellanca 17-30A Viking Is a Harmoniously Handling ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1965 Beechcraft S35 Bonanza.

The Beechcraft Bonanza has been turning heads and setting performance standards since its debut in 1947. And while the market is crowded with sleek, speedy four-seaters today, the decades-old V-tail design still looks fresh and goes fast.

The model also maintains a healthy following that includes pilots who were not born yet when the production of the V-tails ceased in 1982. The distinctive design harks back to the GA boom of the 1960s and ’70s, and its vintage aesthetic is popular now across generations.

There are many Bonanzas on the market that seem like time capsules, beautifully preserved and looking much as they did decades ago. Sometimes the originality extends to instrumentation, which is not ideal for modern pilots accustomed to GPS navigation and other up-to-date digital avionics systems.

The aircraft for sale here maintains its period-perfect paint and upholstery while its panel houses newer Garmin and Aspen electronics that place it on par with much of the modern fleet. A new owner could plan on plenty of serious travel in this machine. 

This 1965 S35 Bonanza has 5,108 hours on the airframe, 1,370 hours on its 285 hp Continental IO-520-BB since overhaul, and 1,730 hours on the propeller since overhaul. The aircraft carries 74 gallons of fuel in the main tanks and a total of 104 gallons with tip tanks. Its useful load is 1,125 pounds.

The IFR panel features an Aspen Evolution 1000 PFD, Garmin GMA 35 audio panel, GTN 750 GPS/nav/comm, GNC 255A nav/comm, GTX 345 transponder with ADS-B In and Out, S-TEC autopilot with GPSS and yaw damper, and JPI EDM 700 engine monitor.

Additional equipment includes aftermarket engine baffles, tip tanks, windshield, side windows, oil separator from Beryl D’Shannon, and Brackett air filter. The aircraft was stripped and painted in 1994 and has an original interior.

Pilots looking for renowned Bonanza performance with the unmistakable and charismatic mid-century styling of the V-tail 35 series should consider this 1965 Beechcraft S35 Bonanza, which is available for $154,900 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Air Compare: Beechcraft A36 Bonanza vs. Bonanza V-tails
• FLYING Magazine: Used Airplane Report: Bonanza vs. Baron
• FLYING Magazine: Pilot Proficiency: Fear of Flying
• Plane & Pilot: Beechcraft V-35 V-Tail Bonanza
• Plane & Pilot: Plane Facts: Beech Bonanzas
• Plane & Pilot: The Ultimate V-Tail
• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Model 35 Bonanza

The post This 1965 Beechcraft S35 Bonanza Is a Well-Preserved ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1980 Cessna 207 Skywagon.

We do not encounter Cessna 207s every day. Its relative, the six-seat 206, is much more popular.

That is in part because six seats are enough for the missions many private pilots fly, especially family trips with more people and baggage than a four-seater like the Cessna 182 could carry. But some families are significantly larger than average.

Many of us can recall a few families in the neighborhood or at school with broods of children for whom the full-size station wagon was not quite big enough. In the days before large SUVs—we are talking about the 1970s—such families drove large vans, like the vehicles used as airport shuttles, for church field trips or transporting high school athletic teams.

Think of the Cessna 207 as the flying version of those vans, with the size, strength, and range to handle big loads and long distances.

The opportunity to acquire one of the relatively rare 207s could generate excitement among pilots who might otherwise have to consider a more expensive, complex turboprop utility aircraft to carry their families and friends. The 207 can do the job with less complication and easy handling that will be familiar and comfortable for pilots who have flown smaller Cessna piston singles. 

This 1980 Cessna 207 has 16,500 hours on the airframe, 100 hours on its 300 hp Continental IO-520 engine, and 944 hours on its Hartzell propeller. The aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight of 3,800 pounds and a useful load of 1,729 pounds. The VFR panel includes dual Icom A210 radios, P7000 audio panel, and Garmin GTX327 transponder.

Pilots with large families who need more space than the typical six-seat piston twin can offer should consider this 1980 Cessna 207 Skywagon, which is available for $235,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• Plane & Pilot: Cessna 207
• Plane & Pilot: Cessna Stationair 8/Skywagon 207
• FLYING Magazine: Cessna T206 Turbo Stationair
• FLYING Magazine: Overloaded Takeoff in the Outback
• FLYING Magazine: Cessna Grand Caravan EX
• The Aviation Consumer: Gippsland Airvan

The post This 1980 Cessna 207 Skywagon Is a Large, Family-Friendly ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1967 Beechcraft V35 Bonanza.

More than 75 years have passed since Beechcraft’s V-tail Bonanza entered the market, representing a swing toward all-metal modern design that would redefine the GA fleet.

The Bonanza was strikingly fast and efficient compared with other private aircraft of the late 1940s, making it an effective cross-country machine. The aircraft became a status symbol for well-to-do pilot owners and an object of desire throughout the aviation community.

The V-tails were popular for decades, so there are still many of them in the fleet, and they change hands regularly. There also is a significant range of condition and equipment levels among the Bonanzas operating today. The aircraft for sale here has a generously upgraded panel and received new paint in 2022 and a new interior in 2021.

This 1967 V35 has 3,519 hours on the airframe and 662 hours on its 285 hp Continental IO-520-BA engine. The new instrument panel features an Avidyne AMX-240 audio panel, Avidyne IFD-540, NGT-9000 transponder with ADS-B In and Out, Garmin GNC-255A Nav/Comm radio, Garmin GI-106B CDI, Aspen Avionics EFD-1000 PFD and MFD, S-Tec 20 autopilot, and Guardian Avionics 553 CO detector.

Pilots looking for a fast, capable four-place traveling aircraft with a combination of vintage styling and modern avionics should consider this 1967 Beechcraft V35 Bonanza, which is available for $229,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine:Air Compare: Beechcraft A36 Bonanza vs. Bonanza V-tails
• FLYING Magazine: Used Airplane Report: Bonanza vs. Baron
• Plane & Pilot: Beechcraft Bonanza, 1947
• Plane & Pilot: Beechcraft V-35 V-Tail Bonanza
• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Piper Aztec
• AVweb: E-35 Bonanza Restoration

The post This 1967 Beechcraft V35 Bonanza Is a Timelessly Stylish ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1961 Aero Commander 500A.

Aero Commander twins have long been known as well-built, durable, and versatile load carriers. During the early 1950s these Ted Smith designs helped define the then-new category of light twin civil aircraft.

In 1955 the U.S. Air Force chose an Aero Commander as a personal transport aircraft for President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Today pilots find the airplane ideal for transporting family members, friends, and business associates comfortably on long trips traversing multiple states.

Aero Commanders also excel at carrying cargo and are renowned for their versatility and user-friendly handling and systems. Speaking of systems, the aircraft for sale here has an updated panel and other equipment that make it hard to believe this machine is more than 60 years old.

This Aero Commander 500A has 4,193 hours on the airframe, 1,429 hours on its right-side Continental IO-520 engine, and 1,438 hours on the left side. There are 334 hours on the right propeller and 333 hours on the left. Fuel capacity is 156 gallons. The aircraft has heavy-duty landing gear, new starter motors, new alternators, new exhaust headers, mechanical fuel pump and throttle and mixture controls on the left engine, new windshield, and new 28-volt battery.

The panel includes a Garmin 35C remote audio panel, GTN 750 GPS/Nav/Comm, Aspen Evolution 1000 PFD, GTX 345 transponder with ADS-B In and Out, JPI EDM 790 twin totalizer with EGT and CHT, S-Tec 50 autopilot, Bendix/King weather radar, Davtron digital timer, and dual 12-volt USB power outlets.

Pilots looking for a roomy piston twin for family vacations or business travel should consider this 1961 Aero Commander 500A, which is available for $220,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Grand Renaissance Commander Levels Up the Twin Turboprop
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• Plane & Pilot: Rockwell Commander “Shrike” 
• Plane & Pilot: Aero Commander 680/Courser
• AVweb: Twin Commander Aircraft Names New President
• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Twin Commander 500

The post This 1961 Aero Commander 500A Is a Historically Significant ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1977 Cessna A185F Skywagon.

For many pilots the Cessna 185 is the ultimate all-around taildragger. When the airplane came to market in 1961, essentially as a heavy-duty version of the existing 180, it was an immediate hit, though interest grew significantly a few years later when Cessna upgraded its powerplant from a 260 hp Continental IO-470 to a 300 hp IO-520. The change contributed to the model’s legendary ability to operate off-airport and from short strips with heavy loads.

Even though 185 production ended in 1985, it often seems that the aircraft’s popularity never really faded and, indeed, continued to grow to the point where it appears to be more popular today than ever. The airplane for sale here offers the versatility of wheels, floats, or skis, and has modifications that make it especially well-suited for travel into remote areas. It is difficult to look at this Cessna 185 without imagining airborne adventures on the remote rivers and lakes of Alaska, Maine, or Minnesota.

This A185F has 6,800 hours on the airframe and 1,000 hours on its Continental IO-520D engine since a major overhaul. The engine’s six cylinders were replaced more recently and have accrued 300 hours. The engine is equipped with GAMI injectors and rests on a special Seaplanes West engine mount.

Additional upgrades include P.Ponk-reinforced landing gear (wheels are included), modifications for wheel skis, a BAS tail-pull handle, Aqua 3190 floats, and Aeropod tailcone access panels. The VFR panel includes an JPI EDM 830 engine monitor. 

Pilots looking for a powerful, utilitarian taildragger with generous and flexible load-carrying capacity should consider this 1977 Cessna A185F, which is available for $184,000 on AircraftForSale. 

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Alaska Wild in a Cessna 185
• FLYING Magazine: Hartzell Voyager Propeller Receives STC for Cessna 185 E/F
• FLYING Magazine: The Greatest Flying Season of All
• Plane & Pilot: Cessna 185 Skywagon
• Plane & Pilot: Cessna‘s Big 185
• Plane & Pilot: Flying With Floats
• AVweb: Used Aircraft Guide: Cessna 185 Skywagon

The post This 1977 Cessna A185F Skywagon Is a Turnkey Adventure Machine and an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1978 Beechcraft F33A Bonanza.

When people think about Beechcraft Bonanzas, they often conjure images of the original V-tail design. Others prefer the stretched fuselage of the utilitarian A36. For many pilots, though, the F33A, with its shorter fuselage and conventional “straight” tail is the one to have.

For generations F33As like the aircraft for sale here have been considered the top of the line among high-performance, four-seat retractables. Pilots of Piper Comanches, Rockwell Commanders (including yours truly), and others in the same category typically wind up comparing their aircraft with F33A Bonanzas and saying things like, “Mine is almost as fast.”

This 1978 F33A Bonanza has 3,354 hours on the airframe and 1,153 hours on its Continental IO-520-BA engine since factory remanufacture. The engine is equipped with GAMI injectors and a Beryl D’Shannon baffle kit. The McCauley three-blade propeller has 328 hours since overhaul. 

The panel features a Garmin GNS 530W GPS/Nav/Com, Apollo SL40 Com, Collins 351 Nav, Apollo SL10-M audio panel, Garmin GTX 335 ADS-B transponder, S-Tec 50 autopilot, and JPI EDM700 engine monitor. Additional equipment includes a standby vacuum system, Door Steward gas springs, and Whelen LED landing and taxi lights. The aircraft was repainted in 2021 and its interior reupholstered in 2023.

Pilots looking for a longtime leader among high-performance piston singles that is an ideal platform for cross-country travel should consider this 1978 Beechcraft F33A Bonanza, which is available for $239,900 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Textron Aviation Presents 75th Bonanza, Virtual Exhibit at Sun ’n Fun
• FLYING Magazine: Hartzell Earns STC for Three-Blade Bonanza Propeller
• FLYING Magazine: Air Compare: Beechcraft A36 Bonanza vs. Bonanza V-tails
• Plane & Pilot: Beechcraft Model 33 Bonanza/Debonair
• AVweb: Garmin’s Budget Autopilot Now Approved For Bonanzas
• AVweb: Used Aircraft Guide: Beech 33 Debonair/Bonanza

The post This 1978 Beechcraft F33A Bonanza Is a Definitive High-Performance ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1979 Bellanca 17-30 Viking.

When moving up to a high-performance, complex four-seat aircraft suitable for long-distance travel, pilots often look at Beechcraft Bonanzas, Mooney M20s, Piper PA-24s, and Cessna 182s. The Bellanca Viking often does not make the list in part because it is not as well known as the others. Those for whom speed is a priority should take a close look at the Viking, which is known for high cruising speeds even though its wooden-wing, fabric-covered fuselage and empennage, and strut-braced horizontal stabilizer do not look especially speedy.

The Viking traces its lineage to the Bellanca Cruisair and Cruisemaster models of the 1940s and ’50s that were advanced for their time. They share a family resemblance, though the Viking, many of which had 300 hp Continental engines, is more of a speedster than its ancestors. There are loyal Viking pilots who consider their airplanes to be the last word in economical piston performance for light civilian aircraft.  

This 1979 Bellanca Viking has 3,522 hours on the airframe and 573 hours on its Continental IO-520K engine. The panel includes an Aspen Avionics EFD1000 Pro PFD and GPSS roll steering, Avidyne IFD540 and IFD440, Garmin GMA 345 audio panel with intercom, Garmin GTX 345 transponder with ADS-B In and out, Century III autopilot, PI 700 digital engine monitor, and JPI fuel flow instrument.

Pilots looking for a lot of performance in an economical four-seat retractable package should consider this 1979 Bellanca 17-30 Viking, which is available for $147,500 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Challenging Common Aircraft Buying Tips
• Plane & Pilot: Bellanca Viking: Wood, Fabric & Genius
• Plane & Pilot: Bellanca 300 Viking
• Plane & Pilot: Bellanca Junior, Cruisair, Cruisemaster
• The Aviation Consumer: Bellanca Viking

The post This 1979 Bellanca 17-30 Viking Is a Stealthily Quick ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1982 Cessna 182R Skylane.

It seems like Cessna 182 Skylanes are always in demand on the used market. Shoppers often enjoy the advantage of having many 182s to choose from, in part because Cessna built a lot of them and they change hands regularly. Today’s market ranges from 1950s and ’60s models to brand-new and lightly used versions built in the last few years.

This 182R is special because a previous owner replaced the original 230 hp Continental O-470 engine with an IO-520 that puts out 280 hp. It also has a combination of Aspen and Garmin avionics that converts the panel almost completely to glass. While 182s are known for their short-field performance, this example will allow pilots to access tight strips with even greater confidence and an improved margin of performance.

This airplane has 4,441 hours on the airframe, 1,118 hours on its IO-520 engine since overhaul and 570 hours on its Hartzell three-blade Scimitar propeller. The panel includes an Aspen 1000 Pro Max MFD and PFD, S-Tec 3100 autopilot, Guardian Avionics Aero 553 CO detector, Garmin GTX 330ES transponder, Garmin GMA 340 audio panel, GNS 530W, GNS 430W, and JPI EDM930 engine monitor. The aircraft received new paint and interior in 2010.

Pilots who want a Cessna 182 but would prefer a dash of extra power should consider this 1982 example with the Continental IO-520 engine. This aircraft is available for $305,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Gas-Powered Cessna 182 Back in Production
• FLYING Magazine: BRS Offers Useful Load Increase for Cessna 182
• Plane & Pilot: Used Cessna 182 Skylanes 
• Plane & Pilot: Why The Cessna 182 Skylane Is A Top Used Plane

The post This 1982 Cessna 182R Is a Heavily Upgraded ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1975 Cessna A185F Skywagon.

Cessna’s 185 is the stuff of dreams for many pilots with backcountry and bush- flying aspirations. Capable of hauling big loads into and out of short fields, the airplane has long been a standard vehicle for transporting hunters, fishing enthusiasts, and other outdoor sportspeople and their gear to remote sites, and bringing back their quarry. Over decades of operation in challenging conditions, the airplane has built a reputation as a rugged, go-anywhere machine.

If there is an aircraft with a higher swagger factor than a Cessna 185, it is a 185 on amphibious floats like the one for sale here. The ability to land on water gives pilots and their passengers access to areas without roads or runways, which they might never reach otherwise. For the return to civilization, the Wipline 3730 floats allow landings on more conventional paved runways.

This Cessna A185F has 1,834 hours on the airframe, 192 hours on its Continental IO-520D engine since factory remanufacture, and 230 hours on the three-blade MT propeller since overhaul. A set of Apollo avionics includes GX60 GPS and SL30 Nav/Comm, SL15M audio panel, and SL70 transponder. An S-Tec 50 autopilot, JPI EDM 700 engine monitor, fuel flow meter, and digital tachometer round out the panel.

Additional equipment includes a gear advisory system for the floats, Seaplanes West engine mount, Oregon Aircraft Designs heat shields, GAMI injectors, and Tanis engine pre-heater.

Pilots looking for a high-performance ticket to adventure and access to a wider list of destinations should consider this 1975 Cessna A185F Skywagon, which is available on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Alaska Wild in a Cessna 185
• FLYING Magazine: Hartzell Voyager Propeller Receives STC for Cessna 185 E/F
• Plane & Pilot: Cessna 185 Skywagon
• Plane & Pilot: Cessna’s Big 185

The post A 1975 Cessna A185F Skywagon with Amphibious Floats Is an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick for Adventure appeared first on FLYING Magazine.